Tokyo traffic can be crazy. Perhaps not as crazy as it is frustrating, but it’s certainly a lot easier to get through the mess on a Monkey rather than in a car.
However, despite our gripes about traffic lights that seem very poorly timed, it turns out that the entire system is much more centralized than we could have imagined.
We recently had the opportunity to visit the Tokyo Traffic Control Center and get an in-depth look at how traffic operates in Tokyo minute-by-minute. Staffed by several officials working 24-hour shifts, Tokyo’s traffic landscape is broadcast on a towering bank of integrated monitors.
From left to right, the Expressway Display Board, Central Display Board, and Information Display Board paint a picture of the immediate traffic situation by compiling information from cameras, helicopters, police, citizen reports, and over 17,000 vehicle detectors all around the city.
Seated in the middle is the Commander of the Control Center, with operators on the sides to collect information. The Information Board on the far right can display anything from handwritten notes to additional maps brought up on the computers.
The Central Display Board highlights 1,000 intersections, and has 15,154 traffic signals in the system. When traffic jams are detected or reported, the affected area turns from green to red. It also displays traffic accidents and closed streets.
Information is passed on to Tokyoites live through radio reports and 300 traffic information boards on the roadways. To directly influence traffic, it’s possible to manually adjust the signal intervals for 7,000 of the traffic lights, and communicate directly with traffic officers in the field.
Tokyo may not be the most traffic-friendly place in the world, but it’s not nearly as bad as what we’ve seen elsewhere. It’s our opinion that much has been accomplished through the use of vehicle detectors to monitor flow, and we discussed future developments with officials, such as integrating the detectors with car navigational systems to better inform drivers.
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Michael is the Editor of JapanTrends.com and Director of the 
Being “of an age”, I remember working with our local Emergency Measures Organization (in a coastal city) to implement very early internet functionality … “packet radio”. We were the local ham radio club, and we knew of what we spoke.
On twitter just now, having this article propped up, I mentioned to a writer in an un-named tech site *RWW!* that “support services is where we will see the real [stuff] … real problems, real needs, real logistical considerations, real physics > real solutions.”
For the good of all sentient beings I trust you will continue your reporting, and that those who toil to secure our well-being continue to receive our support. (Read: civic infrastructure mustRPTmust receive the attention it so /richly/ deserves.
__{*}__
–bentrem
Love this post. Is it hard to get in for this tour, I would love to see it. thank you for posting the great photos and description.
That main display is huge! It looks NASA worthy to me. I’d like to see if there are other cities who have traffic control systems that look this sophisticated or better.
Wow! this rocks! thanks so much for sharing your visit to the tokyo traffic control center–very impressive. go tokyo! i hope that each major city in the world has something or is working toward something comparable.
What happens when Godzilla attacks?
When Godzilla attacks: BSOD!
Kind of reminds me of that old ’70s movie “The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3″ with Walter Matthau. There’s a scene in the master control room for the NYC subway system, and a group from Tokyo’s mass transit authority visits to learn how they can duplicate the electronic wall maps and other features.
Now, I am sure large American cities could use some sort of coordinated traffic control system like Tokyo’s TCC. If there is something like this in my local metropolis, Boston, I haven’t heard about it …
Whoa. That’s crazy. Looks like circuit board schematics.
It’s cool to see a system so organised. Here in europe we have TMC which is broadcast to most GPS devices and updates routes based on the traffic. it should be global imo.
Happy new year.
Don’t get too excited about this — it’s a case of the reality being less than the appearance. The fancy display board lets the operators see how bad the conditions are, but they don’t actually adjust the signals to make things better. When I had the tour of this center and asked how they were going to respond to a very badly congested situation we saw on the display, the answer was that they depended on the radio and TV station people watching the display to inform the public that conditions were bad, so that they would stay away. Large cities in other countries (Los Angeles, London, Sydney) are taking more sophisticated approaches to this, even if their graphical displays aren’t as sexy.
Another ATMS (Advanced Traffic Management System) here @ Houston TranStar – 1400 traffic signals and hundreds of cameras to control the Houston freeways in real-time.
Teknojunkie – now that’s hilarious.
Are any systems in the US even close to this?
Kindly can some let me know who were the designers and consultants for the tokyo traffic control center or from where will i get information about it?
Kindly can some let me know who were the designers and consultants for the tokyo traffic control center or from where will i get information about it?
eu adeniro os japao e as suas tequinologi